Adjustable-head-size hat and lining therefor



J. A. M KNIGHT v ADJUSTABLE HEAD SIZE HAT AND LINING THEREFOR FiledApril 11. 1922 f Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES .TANIE A. McKNIGHT, or rinoornron, nonrn CAROLINA.

ADJUSTABLE-HEAD-SIZE HAT AND LINING THEREFOR.

Application filed April 11, 1922. Serial No. 551,499.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JANIE A. MCKNIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lincolnton, in the county of Lincoln and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable-Head-Size Hats and Linings Therefor, of which the following is aspecification. 7

10 This invention has reference more particularly to ladies, misses andchildrens hats, and has for its object to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, an adjustable head size manufactured into thehat,

16 whereby the latter can be used in connection with heads of varyingsizes, and the invention has for its further object to combine with theadjustable head size a one-piece lining having its lower portionsupported 20 upon and interposed between the adjustable head size andthe crown of the hat.

In accordance with this invention, a hat body is provided with a bandeauformed from a strip of flexible material, cut on bias, arranged inband-like form, preferably corresponding in color to the color of thehat body and having the lower edge thereof fastened to the inner wall ofthe headsize of the hat at position of sweatband and there containing acircular metal or. like reinforcement to hold the bandeau at such pointout against the inner wall of the hat in the position of the sweat'bandeau location, while the upper edge of the band contains a fiatelastic member embedded in the bandean and instanding with relation tothe lower edge of the bandeau, the elastic member being contracted dueto its own elasticity and capable of expanding under in- 40 ternalpressure.

V Positioned within the crown portion of the hat is a one-piece liningof a size to fill such crown portion and which has .its base providedwith a spring steel wire band and with the lining so set up whereby thebase thereof will be lodged between the bandeau and the wall of the hatcrown at the sweat band location and with the base of thelining seatedupon the bandeau.

The construction of the invention provides a body hat with new andlarger head-. size measurements than are now in use, such as may provepractical with a soft snug-fit elastic inner edge head-size adjustmentmade of a strip of suitable flexible material, cut

on bias with fiat elastic sewn into the hat by the manufacturer, doingaway- With the waste of time and labor now taken up by sewing in a paperlining by the manufacturer, and also provides a one-piece lining sewnonto a sprung steel Wire conforming to the position of the sweat bandand is advantageous in being held to the inner wall of .the body hathead size without sewing, by means of the inserted sprung steel wire,and saves time and labor for the trimmer and also saves expense for theretailer.

Because of the elastic yielding of the bandean and the take up providedby the elastic insert, the number of different head sizes which itbecomes necessary to keep in stock is reducedto a minimum.

The adjustable head-size hats 'are' made adjustable to the differentsizes by simply drawing the elastic and tying it on the inner edge tofit tighter or looser as the case may require irrespective of whetherthe quantity of hair on the head be ample or scanty.

Nor is the dealer confined to selling a certain style of hat to acertain type of customer as is now very often the case, since the dealermay have within his power to fit many more customers than, heretoforewith the same style hat, not only for women but also for misses andchildren as well. Moreover a great deal of time, labor'and expense issaved to retailers which now is consumed by adding bandeaux to makesmaller or the necessity of taking the hat to pieces in order that itmay be fitted to strict compliance to the showing of the drawings, butmay be changed and modified so long as such changes and modificationsmark no material departure from the salient. features of the inventionas expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical central section through a hatembodying the invention, some parts of the showing being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crown lining designed to occupy theupper portion of the hat.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the crown lining before being assembled.

Fig. 4; is a plan view of the wire rein forcement for the crown liningatthe base ofthe hat, is a bandeau 3 in accordance with thisinvention,-which is formed from a strip of suitable flexible material,cut on bias, arranged in band-like form and tapered through the mediumof a flat elastic 4, encased at the upper edge of the strip of-fabricand drawn into position. The bandeau 8 tapers towards the upper edgethereof and extends into the crown portion 1 for a substantial distance.The upper edge 5 of the bandeau 3, iscontr-acted in circumference bymeans of the elastic 4, whereby theupper edge 5 will be olfset fromtheerown 1 a substantial distance and will'be sufficien'tly elastic tosnugly fit the head of a wearer.

Within the crown -1 there is lodged a dome-shaped crown-lining having ahem 6 about thelower edge in which is lodged an endless sprung steelwire of a circumference conforming to'that of the body of-the' hat andof such size as to engage the slanting body-portion of the band 3.

.Since the diameter of the dome-shaped crown insertion in the hat isgreater than the upper end of the bandeau,the'crown or lining-indicatedat 8- is supported in the hat or body portion without the necessity ofsewing, by means of the sprung steelwire fitted tightly into thehead-size hat body at the position of the sweatband.

By making the upper or narrower portion of the bandeau 3v adjustable andof an elastic nature the whole band maybe made to snugly fit the head ofthewearer without making the fit uncomfortable and at the sametime-forminga continuous fitting' from the base-of the head sizehatbodyto'the smaller head size of 'the wearer.

The invention provides adjustable 1 head sizes made into the hat bodyand adaptable to different types by simply drawing the elastic tapeabout theupper edge of the adjustable band .to fit tightly or moreloosely as the case may require.

The new 'measurements of adjustable head-sizes should be made in twosizes each for ladies, misses and children, such as may prove practical,and each hat may bear a stamped numberatone side thereof providing theretailer with means of knowing what head-size he is buying.

' What is claimed-is-:-

1. An attachment for hats comprising a frusto-conical bandeauformed froma strip of flexible material cuton bias, of substantial width andadapted to have its lower edge secured within and to-the-bottom-of-a hatcrown, said bandeau having its upper edge provided with an elasticelementfor contracting said edge, and a crown lining having its lowerend provided witl1=a-con tinuous encased -metallic element correspondingin contour to the shape of-the lower end of the lining and seated on thebandeau-between the top and bottom'edges thereof for retaining thelining within the crown.

2. An attachment for hats comprising a fr'usto-conical bandeau" formedfrom a strip of flexible material cut on bias, of substantial width andhaving a yieldable contracted upper edge, and a crown-lining havingits-lower edge provided-with a continu ous encased spring wirecorresponding in contour to the shape of the lowenend ofthe lining, saidlower end of the'liningmounted on said bandeau and said wire 1 providingmeans in connection with the bandeau for retaining the lining'within thehat, the upper portion of said bandeau extending :into and above thelower end of the bottom ofthe lining.

3."The combination with the crown of a hat, of a'frusto-conical baaideau formed from a-strip of flexible materi al, cuton the bias ofsubstantial width having itslower edge secured to the inner face ofsaidcrown at the bottom thereof, saidban-deauextending inwardly from saidcrown and having its upper edge provided with an encased elastic elementto'provide for the contracting of said upper edge, and a lining arrangedin said crown and havingits lower end seated onsaid bandeau andinterposed between the bandeau and the crown, said lining having itslowerend provided with a continuous-spring wire encased in the liningand providing means for retaining-the linin in position.

11 testimony whereof, I 'aflix mysignature here-to.

JANIE A. MoKNIGrH-T.

